Now a group of researchers from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Franceâ€”led by Geert Morthier of microelectronics research firm Imec and Ghent University, both in Belgiumâ€”are using a tiny whispering gallery for photons, called a microdisk laser, to create an optical memory cell that operates using mere femtojoules of energy and which might form an important component in future optical communication technology. Because of the low power consumption and speed of optical circuits, researchers expect that microdisk laser-based memories will be able to compete with todayâ€™s silicon-based circuits for routing telecom signals.